Seeking Redemption: Yuletide Celebrations
by Elizabeth Whittaker
Summary: Orginial Lufia work about Lufia regaining her memory. This is Book One. Book Two will be its own separate catagory, which is now being worked on and up.
1. Prologue: Stranger

  
  

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Stranger

The other wolves stare at me,

Their uneasiness and fearfulness 

Clouding their judgement

As they stare at me

From where I stand.

As I was up toward them

I try to sort out all the confusion 

And fear in my mind,

Trying to understand 

Why half of them

Feel so helpless

Like myself.

They fail to see

That I can understand all they feel.

I feel their fear,

I feel their hate.

I feel their gains,

I feel their defeat.

I feel all their losses.

But fear outweights 

All the other feelings I feel.

-Elizabeth Whittaker


	2. Part I: Dreams May Not Be Forgotten

  
  

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Part I: Dreams May Not Be Forgotten

Lufia sighed in her sleep, drawing the thick homemade quilt close to her skinny frame. She was shivering underneath the blanket on the snowy Christmas morning in the year 654. As she curled around the blanket, the heat made her warm and slowly she sunk back unto her dream, her left arm curled around the pillow and the other dangling off the bed.

* * *

Lufia dreamed of when she was a little girl out of all things, which disturbed her. She hated her childhood memories because of everything that happened to her. But now, she was playing in the snow with her best friend, Devur. The two were outside of the Sorcerer's Cerpreve, where they usually played. It was a white Christmas and Lufia's hair was covered in snow. She seemed to enjoy the snow and playing tag with Devur.

Devur laughed as he held out his tongue and caught a snowflake. "Hey, Lufia," he asked, "why don't you catch snowflakes?"

"C-catch snowflakes?" Lufia's lavender eyes looked to the red-headed boy with confusion. "Why would I do that, Devur?" Slowly she blinked innocently and Devur sighed.

"You don't know why?"

Again Lufia shook her head, some snow coming out of her hair, revealing rich, lavender hair. "No. Why would I, Devur? It's childish."

"You act too grown for your age, Lufia."

Lufia, who was looking at the snow-covered world around her, looked to Devur. "You think so?"

"Lufia," Devur replied, taking her hand in his brown-colored gloved one, "I know so. You take the responsibility of the Sorcerer's Cerpreve on your shoulders. You stay home with Roman and help him then getting a basic education from Sayfaia."

Lufia huffed as she started making a snowball angrily. Devur and her had several conversations like this before. "I don't like Sayfaia. You and Roman know that. The woman is stuck-up. Besides, it's also how all the knights get their information . . . through us."

"I can live without the information, Lufia," Devur said scornfully, knowing that she was right. "But you're almost eleven years old. You act like you're almost sixteen. You should be a child." Devur took the hand that he held hers in and put it up to his face. "You need some time to yourself."

* * *

Devur Tranvent knocked loudly on Lufia's thick wooden door, sighing in an exasperated matter. He knew for a fact that Lufia would not be up; in fact, he knew that his best friend (Or his fiancée, as everyone knew her by, nowadays) would not wake up unless it was to the sound of either to her father or his voice in the morning.

"Lufia!" he called loudly. "Are you up yet?!"

He was met with silence . . . just as to be expected, he thought.

"Lufia!!" he yelled once more. "You better wake up, or else I'm coming in!" His hand reached for the doorknob. Usually he was met with a sleepy grumble or a 'I'm awake' or a 'Go away' or a 'Come on in, I'm dressed'.

Still there was nothing.

"That's it!! I'm coming in!!"

Devur turned the knob back fiercely, his hand shaking as it turned. Then he threw the hand out, expecting to see something bad happening to Lufia.

Instead he found her sound asleep on the bed, with one hand dangling over the bed and one curled around the pillow. Her light sea green sleeve to her nightgown was trying to eat her hand, it seemed, as it crawled up her arm. Lufia snorted in her sleep once, which made Devur laugh.

He slowly surveyed the room; the blinds were closed and the room looked like a darkroom for pictures. When he walked, he stepped on Lufia's dirty underwear from three days ago and wrinkled his nose. "When does Lufia do laundry?" he asked himself in a whisper. "And to think, I'm going to be living with this woman . . . she scares me with just the way her room looks . . ."

Slowly he made his way to the bed and took her hand in his, noting how soft her hand was. Lufia blushed deeply and Devur grinned. That was one thing he loved about Lufia: he loved making his fiancée blush. And she is an easy blusher, he thought to himself. "Oh, Lufia," he whispered, "you look as beautiful as your Priphea flowers. I wonder if there are any in bloom on Christmas. They would make a wonderful Christmas gift on you."

Devur saw her tiny lips curl up as she slept and she laughed, her eyes blinking open for a minute, looking fully at him. He could tell she was still asleep, however, for there was a dreamy look in her deep lavender eyes. Then she turned away from him and buried her face into the pillow, moaning.

"Merry Christmas, Lufia," me murmured into her ear, kissing her cheek.

* * *

Lufia's eyes softened at Devur's suggestion, wondering what exactly he was up to. "Oh . . . really?" Lufia blinked softly, innocently. "Well, I know that I have been working a little too much. Even Roman has told me that . . . "

"Lufia, sometimes you can be so stubborn."

The girl sat on the ground, Indian-style. "Sometimes? I thought it was all the time, Devur." Lufia giggled, pulling him down on the ground as well.

"Hey!" he yelled, falling on his stomach. "The ground is cold, Lufia! You really should have a cold on!" He sat up and, still holding her hand, brushed off the snow with his free hand. "How can you sit on the ground like that?"

Lufia shrugged and shook her head, the loose snow falling out of her hair. "I don't know, Devur. I guess I just can."

"Well, here," Devur told her, letting her hand go. "Take my coat, will you?" He shrugged out of his coat and put around the slender girl's shoulders, seeing her shiver. "And you are lying, Lufia. You are cold."

Lufia huffed as she accepted the jacket. "Thank you."

"Lufia, you really need some time to yourself," Devur started again in concern. "I'm getting worried about you. I'm afraid for you."

Lufia glared at him angrily as she held the snowball in her hand. "How dare you tell me what you think I need, Devur Arran Tranvent!!" she screamed as she threw the snowball at him.

* * *

It was at that part that she punched Devur in the face; on the left cheek, to be precise, pretending to throw the snowball at Devur in the dream. Devur knew that something was wrong and tried to hold Lufia down to the bed. It was at this that she began to struggle and cry.

"Let me go, Devur!! I was only playing!! Owww!!" the woman on the bed thrashed from his grip violently. "I just threw a snowball!!"

Now Devur was confused. A dream with him and Lufia? Snowballs? Something else was going on. Still, he would let her sleep, and see.

* * *

The snowball hit him on the cheek and Devur felt the coldness of it. "Lufia!" he giggled in childish glee. "Now you're really letting yourself act like a child!"

Lufia folded her arms across her chest, huffing in mock anger. "Humph. Well, if you say so, Devur. I still think you're being too childish for my liking."

Devur sighed. "Ahh, come on, Lufia!" he whined, gathering snow in his hand and looking around, trying to see if any other kids were coming around them. "You need to let yourself have fun! It's Christmas Day and you're not letting yourself be a child! Why--why you would not accept gifts from Roman!"

"I didn't--I--I--"

Devur came from behind her, the snow now in the form of a snowball and he threw it at her back, connecting it with her. It slid down her neck and into her dress. She squealed in delight and he tackled her to the ground, sitting on her stomach. "You do deserve a friend and a father," her muttered to her. "Really, Lufia. You do."

Lufia's eyes started to grow wide. "Devur . . . " Her voice started to shake. She did not know why, but she was starting to get frightened. A thing of fear was starting to set in her mind. Lufia knew that she needed to trust instinct. It got her out of more then one situation many a time. "Devur . . . please . . . let me go!"

"Lufia?" he asked her, concerned. He was confused. "What's wrong? Are you alright?"

"Just let me go . . . " she continued to whimper. "I'm getting scared now. . . Can you just let me go?"

Devur laughed, thinking that Lufia was just joking around. "Lufia, I'm not hurting you! Just--"

However, the many times that her step-father and the abusers of her past came back to her in her past and tears welled up in her lavender eyes, slowly falling down her cheeks. "Devur, by the Goddess Herself, let me go! I'm frightened!!"

Devur stood up and growled deeply in his throat and sighed, looking at his friend cry hysterically. Then he pulled her up by the sleeve of her dress and it ripped, throwing her back to the ground. Lufia cried, but he pulled up again by the dress again, this time by the chest. She screamed, but he slapped her in the face. "I don't care. Just stop your pathetic whining," he hissed as she started to change his form in front of her, a red light shining all around him.

* * *

Devur was now worried as he saw Lufia scream and cry in her sleep, thrashing in the blankets. What is she seeing that is so horrible? he thought to himself. Lufia's dreams are usually tormenting to her, and I know this . . . but I know now that something else is going on . . . 

Devur was pulled out of his thoughts as the innkeeper of the Sorcerer's Cerpreve rushed up the stairs to his daughter's bedroom, hearing her screams. At any other situation, it would have been funny to see him in his current attire, the knight of Alekia thought: clad in only boxer shorts, Roman Narobyn was the least likely person that Devur thought he would see in that type of attire. But there he was standing there, in that, because Lufia was flipping out in her sleep.

"Well?" Roman asked, looking at Devur with a non tolerant look on his face. Then he realized what he was wearing and shrugged. "Yes, even an old man wears boxer shorts to bed, Devur. What of it?"

Devur could not help but crack a smile. "Roman . . . The fact is . . . you're an old man. Old men usually are in--"

"They're in nursing homes because either their wives have passed on or because they cannot take care of themselves," he answered for him. "Now, how is Lufia? I came in here to see why she was screaming again, not why I am in my current attire." He looked at her anguished face. Her forehead was creased with lines on it, like someone would when someone is thinking deeply. Tiny pink were pressed together, as if she was keeping a secret she was sworn not to tell. Slender arms and legs intertwined together, curling herself into a perfect ball, her lavender hair on her porcelain skin. But her skin was broken out into a cold sweat. 

"She was dreaming about me, her and snowballs," he answered, his face hiding his cheek. "She hits pretty hard, too," Devur muttered, rubbing where she hit him. "But I think she might be dreaming about her past."

"Is that not why she called you, Aguro and Jerin together on this Christmas Day?" Roman asked Devur, sitting on the bed next to Lufia, wiping her hair off her face. "Hmm . . . her face is in a cold sweat, Devur. Get me a bowl of water with a cold rag. There should be a bowl in the bathroom with a dry rag on it."

Devur headed out of the door, calling out his answer, "Yes, it is. Actually, it was both of our idea. Lufia was missing the company, as was I. I missed the adventure and she wanted to say something that she wanted to reveal that even I do not know."

By this time he had reached the bathroom, which was next to Lufia's room. It was a simplistic bathroom, with a toilet, a sink and four white walls. The room was clean, thanks to Lufia's cleaning skills. Everything was in its place. There were no pictures on the walls to decorate it, nothing on the sink, the toilet or the counter, which showed other people that they had to bring their own things. However, there was a roll of toilet paper in the disposal so people could use the toilet.

Slowly Devur picket up the ceramic blue bowl that Roman had left on the counter with a matching rag and took the rag out of it, holding it under his arm. Then he turned the water faucet on, filling it with water. He heard Roman's voice then when he turned off the water and was heading back into the room. 

"Lufia's going to tell you about her past."

Devur blinked as he handed Roman the rag and the bowl. "Her past? What do you mean? As a Sinistral or as Lufia?" He walked over to her blinds to let some sunshine into the room, but there was no sun. It was a white Christmas outside. "Finally. The first time in ten years, there's a white Christmas, Roman."

Roman smiled wanly. "Yes. And Litara never even got to see one. Funny, is it not? I promised her that."

"Litara?" Devur asked. He now walked slowly to a chair next to Lufia's bed, his feet scuffing against the purple tiles. "Was that Lufia's mother?" The red-headed knight sighed as he ran a hand through his unruly hair and flopped himself down on the chair.

Roman nodded. "Yes. She was a pretty lady . . . "

Lufia then began to scream hysterically, tears rolling down her cheeks. She tossed and turned on the bed, screaming, panting heavily. Roman put the rag into the water, trying to wipe the sweat off her forehead, but she screamed at his touch. "Devur, by the Goddess Herself, let me go! I'm frightened!!!"

"Devur!" Roman yelled, "hold her down!! She needs to be restrained!"

Devur leapt out of the chair and grabbed Lufia's wrists from where he was standing as he was crawling on the bed from his knees, messing up her baby blue sheets. He did not care though as she thrashed, screaming and crying. Devur finally managed to throw one leg over her stomach, then the other, pinning her abdomen to the bed; the knight felt like her was squashing as he sat on her. "Come on, Roman!"

* * *

The changed figure was hideous ugly and frightened Lufia to no end. Devur mysteriously grew from her height to Romans; then he hovered--no--towered above the little girl--and then stopped expanding. He (and for some reason, Lufia always knew it changed into a he) had long orange-red hair that seemed to bounce whenever he walked. The piercing emerald eyes gazed through her and she saw him for what he really was: a conniving thief, an empty draining life force. Lufia's senses were screaming at her to watch out for him.

His body was darkly tan; his muscles rippled from his arms and chest. It was the chest that Lufia studied. So this was where the scar on his bare right breast, she thought to herself, which, she judged, must have taken a long time to heal, based on how thick the scar was. The veins were thick and contorted, pumping in a fast notion across his body. His dark red lips curled into an evil smile. "Well, we meet again, my dear Lufia."

"Why Devur?!" Lufia screamed. "Why?!" She wrapped her hands around her stomach, trying to curl herself into a ball while she was still standing. "You--NO!"

The figure slammed his hands on her shoulders as she cried, shaking them. She was traumatized; nothing could pull Lufia's gaze away from the orange-red headed figure. But Lufia screamed, "Just get away from me! LEAVE ME ALONE, BRYANT!!" 

Still Bryant shook her, "Lufia! Wake up! LUFIA!"

* * *

"Lufia! Wake up! Lufia!" Devur screamed loudly as he continued to shake her wildly. "Come on, wake up, girl! I know you can hear me!" He pushed her back down on her bed while he got up off her stomach with his knees. Lufia gasped for air loudly and as he stood, his fiancée opened her eyes, staring at the two.

"Devur?" Her voice shook as she spoke to the red-head. Then she looked to her father, who was on the other side of Lufia's bed. His blue eyes looked worried as he looked to his daughter, who was shaking on the bed. "It was horrible . . . the dream . . . I saw that man coming after me as you again . . . " Her breath shook and Devur knew that she was having a panic attack again. His arms came around her and she rushed into his embrace, hugging him close to her. 

Roman looked consolingly to the knight, then thought of what to say. Yet he could think of nothing. His eyes shifted to the shaking girl in Devur's arms and his heart melted. "Lufia, it's just a dream," he told her.

"It's been repetitive for about the last three years since the Sinistrals have been defeated," Devur reminded him. "Do you think she maybe regained her memory after all this time?" He gently stroked her hair and moved his left hand on her neck as she cried, moving it back and forth across her neck softly. It seemed to calm Lufia, for she started sighing softly and her tears stopped flowing from her cheeks. "Flake did say that her memories would be coming back at any time now."

"Yes, he did," Roman confirmed, sitting on her bed now, taking Lufia's hand. "That could be the reason. Do you want me to call Aguro and Jerin from their slumber? They are only in the next room."

"They should have heard me--heard me screaming--about--" Lufia tied to speak, but all that came out were hiccupping sobs. Then she started to wail again and threw her head into Devur's chest, her tears wetting Devur's shirt. Her little hands hit his chest in frustration. "Mama . . ." she whispered. "Mama . . . Daemon . . ."

Roman shook his head. "Christmas morning usually is hard for Lufia ever since they have been defeated, Devur. She has had the past in her dreams, yet never had had the answers that she has wanted. But we need her to give us the answers."

"And how do you suppose we do that?" Devur started as he heard two people arguing down the hallway. He knew by their voices that it was the guests that Lufia and him had invited for Christmas, but he wished that for once that they would not argue. "Call a meeting?"

"You should have gone to fond out what that noise was, Ag!" A melodic woman's voice called down the hallway. "I swear, you never do anything when it is the right time or when someone tells you to . . ."

Welcome to the day of living hell, Devur thought to himself. And you wanted to invite them for Christmas. Still, it is nice to have their company. But now I'm beginning to wonder . . . and who proposed to whom? Are they even happy that they're married? But he did not say anything as he still heard them arguing, this time Aguro's voice coming to his ears.

"Jerin, you heard Lufia's screams too. You just laid there, all curled up in a ball because you were cold. So don't tell me that I was being lazy. Just own up to the fact that you did not want to get out of bed and you did not know what to do about the situation, because I didn't. Devur did. You let Devur handle it."

Aguro made sense! In the time that Devur knew Aguro, the Lorbenian commander seemed . . . well, dense. That was the only word that the Knight of Alekia could use for him. and now . . . It seems that being around Jerin is good for Aguro, and that marriage suits him. He does not have to settle down with her. She doesn't settle down. And he picks up stuff from her. Sure, she's smart in her own little way, but I think Ag knows how to handle Jerin. Just like I know how to handle Lufia.

"Ag . . ." Jerin was quiet for a minute, but Devur could tell her voice was full of awe. "You just made perfect sense. Are you learning or what?" Then her head popped through the door and Devur gasped at the difference in her appearance.

In the five years that they had known each other, Jerin usually wore Elvin garb that was a dark forest green with matching pants that were comfortable for traveling. Now she was in a light forest green shirt that was to her stomach and a long matching skirt that was in a intricate design that was known that it was elfin made that was to her ankles. She also had a necklace on that contained some sort of dust in it in a tiny little bottle and had a pair of sapphires in her pointy ears. Her hair was much longer now and it was to Lufia's length, which was to her waist and it was pulled into a French braid and tied back. There was a diamond engagement ring on her left hand and a sapphire ring as her wedding ring on her right. The light brown eyes matched her boots, which were ankle cut.

Jerin smiled shyly. "Hey, Dev. What's been up with you?" Then she saw Lufia. "Figured she was nightmaring again."

Aguro followed her into the room and blinked. "Devur! Hey!"

Devur looked at Aguro and noted his different appearance as well. Aguro had changed his armor, or he seemed to, anyway, since he gotten it polished and had gotten a longer sword. Probably when Jerin and him had gotten married, Devur noted to himself as he scratched Lufia's neck, still trying to sooth his fiancée. But when did he polish his armor?

"Hey, Ag," Devur replied, shocked. "When did the sudden change come for you?" When Aguro looked confused, Devur nudged his head to his armor. "That. It never was polished before. Not that I can remember, anyway." He said all of this as he was putting his hand through Lufia's long lavender hair.

Jerin blushed deeply at that. "Well, men change when--"

"Just something I wanted to do, I guess," Aguro muttered, staring at the ground, shuffling his feet. Devur turned a light shade of red himself and wanted to laugh. Aguro Ackern, Commander of the Lorbenian Army, actually blushed at something he did because of the woman he had come to love. It's amazing . . . how much he has changed . . . but then again, so have Lufia and I . . . But--- whoa! I didn't notice his hair!!

Aguro had longer hair them Devur Tranvent did now . . . which was down to his neck, pulled back in a warrior's tail. His hair was highlighted in the back when the sun shone down on it, in light and dark greens. But when he turned back to him, it was just a dark green once again, matching his eyes.

"So, is Lufia alright now?" Aguro asked in concern. "We heard her screaming down the hallway . . . sorry we didn't come sooner I mean . . . we would have, but . . . " He now had the courage to look at Devur and his face was still a little red. Aguro looked serious, however, as he straightened out the wrinkles in his tan pants at the legs. "How long did this nightmare start?"

Roman was still holding his daughter's other hand and wiping her face down as Aguro asked the question. Feeling the most qualified, he answered, "About two years, now, some of them different ones. I know this one has been repetitive. So does Devur. But then again . . . " Roman took the cloth off Lufia's head and put his hand on his chin, furrowing his white eyebrows in thought. "But Flake did say that her memories would return soon. And when she would, she would need all of you, including me."

"I'm starting to get the feeling that Lufia and Devur called us for her sanity and not just for a friendly Christmas gathering," Jerin muttered as she pulled herself away from Aguro and moved to Lufia. "You alright?"

Lufia blinked her eyes sleepily as she looked to her two friends. "Thank you both for coming. Merry Christmas to both of you. But you are right; I did not call you both here simply because I wanted to spend Christmas with you two. It was because of this." She looked to Aguro as she said the last statement. "I wanted to tell you about my past. But I want to rest a little. So can you give me a little while to sleep and then--"

"Don't worry," Jerin promised, patting Lufia's head as she moved her hair out of Lufia's face and kissed the side of the pale girl's cheek. "We'll give you a little time to rest up from dreaming and what not. But just promise me you'll call me if you need me, alright?"

Lufia looked at Jerin and saw the concern in her golden eyes. At this she nodded. "Sure, Jerin. I will." With that, she looked up at her fiancée. "Devur, thanks. You might as well keep Jerin and Aguro company while I . . ." At the middle of her sentence, she yawned sleepily. "Well, you know what I mean . . . " Her head thumped heavily on Devur's chest, her eyelids flickering in sleep.

"Damn," Jerin muttered. "It doesn't take her long to fall asleep, does it?"

Aguro shook her head. "Never did."

Devur rose slowly, moving Lufia off him and lifted her up delicately, as if she would break at any moment. Her legs and arms dangled when he lifted her up, but she did not notice, she was so deep in sleep. Devur laid her head on the pillow, her hair all in different directions. Lufia moaned in her sleep as her head hit it, stretching, but he still finished laying her down on the bed, covering her up with the sheets. Then he looked to Aguro and Jerin. 

"Well, we might as well go downstairs," the Knight of Alekia told them in a somber voice. "I'll let you in on what has happened while you two have been away."

Roman sighed as she stood up wearily. "As will I. I want to know how you two have been doing as well."

Jerin and Aguro smiled as they looked at the other and blinked for a minute, then looking at the old innkeeper and the Knight, they started: "Well," Jerin began, "it's been like this . . . "

Back to Seeking Redemption Go to Interlude I: The First Try


	3. Interlude I: The First Try

  
  

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Interlude I: The First Try

Devur, Aguro and Jerin were sitting around a table downstairs in the Sorcerer's Cerpreve. The three were talking about the events that had led up to the point to which they had arrived the night before, which had been Christmas Eve. Aguro was sitting next to his wife of two years and had his muscular arm around her slender shoulder. She, on the other hand, was holding his hand and had one hand on his thigh as they talked. It was making Devur very uncomfortable, but he did not say anything.

It's cute, he decided, after he was sick of being jealous of the two for what was about forty-five minutes. I never thought that those two would wed each other. And two years later, even after attending the wedding . . . I cannot believe my eyes. Aguro Levarien Ackern and Jeriavea Sylanie Valardis-Ackern are actually getting along with one another. He drummed his hand on the table in thought as he looked at the stairs, as if it would make the time go faster. It would have taken a brain surgeon to make those stop arguing when we were fighting the Sinistrals in the Second Doom Island War! Now look at them!

Devur felt like screaming. He really did. So he tapped his feet and cleared his throat, which followed with him banging his head against the table.

Jerin looked at the Knight of Alekia with an inquisitive look and muttered to Aguro, "Devur has finally lost his mind, Ag. Just look at him." Her hand that was on his thigh went around his abdomen. "I mean, I think he's worried about Lufia yet again . . ."

"Well, look at us," Aguro pointed out to his wife. "Ready to--"

"Don't even suggest it," Jerin told him. "I am not thinking down that road tonight, Aguro. Not in someone else's home." Yet there was a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "But have some decency in front of our friend and your fellow knight. I don't think he's even had sex yet, from the way his face is turning red."

Devur rose his face from the table and looked at Jerin with merciless blue eyes, glaring at her from a beet red face. "Don't try my patience tonight, Jeriavea," he growled, using her full name. "I don't want to be toyed around with. Lufia is the most important matter we need to be discussing."

Jerin hissed at him, "How did you--"

"That is irrelevant," Aguro interrupted, cutting Jerin off. "Lufia is the most important matter in this case. Her memories are returning, overwhelming her. And if we do not help her . . .they could come for her and take her for their own greed. And once that is done, there might not be anything we can do." Aguro sighed as he shifted positions on the bench he shared with Jerin. Stretching his legs underneath the table, he asked, "Her nightmare and this man Bryant . . . has she told you who Bryant is?"-+

Devur nodded. "Somewhat. She hasn't told me all about her past, Aguro."

"Now you know how we feel when she doesn't tell us stuff, Devur," Jerin muttered as she yawned tiredly, scratching at the back of her head. "Still, there could be a way. But Lufia has to wake up still." Then she looked to Aguro. "I need you to let go for a minute, hon. I do need to relieve myself for a minute, you know."

Aguro shook himself out of what seemed like a deep thought before he returned to the present "Oh . . . what?" He blinked a few times, dark hazel-jade eyes staring at Jerin's golden ones. "Sorry about that, dear." His arm lifted off her shoulders and Jerin slipped out of the end of the bench and seemed to float away, her long blonde hair bouncing behind her.

Devur, who sat opposite of Aguro, look over at his friend closely. "You two seemed to have settled your differences."

"Yes, it seems to me that we have. A long time ago, in fact," Aguro told him, still looking at his wife as she walked. "But you know, I'm glad that we did. The constant fighting was not going well for me at all. It seemed to tear my soul apart, if you know what I mean."

Devur nodded, brushing back his red hair. "Yeah, I know what you mean, Ag." You tell them not to do one thing, and they do the exact opposite of what they say." Dreamily he looked out the window, which was still sunny outside. Then he shivered, realizing that it was cold in the room. "You know, that was partially why I didn't want to take Lufia with me when we were fighting the Sinistrals in the Second Doom Island War. I was afraid of losing her." He really did not realize what he was saying as he was looking out the window, staring at the Pripheas that were in bloom.

Aguro seemed to notice this, but he did not want to stop Devur from talking. Instead he wanted the Knight of Alekia to go on, to relieve his stress. "Well, why?" He knew the answer; Aguro wanted to hear Devur say the words that he never heard him say to Lufia Narobyn.

And he heard them in the next three seconds, and they were spoken without hesitation.

"Because I love her, that's why, Aguro. I love Lufia and I would give anything not to lose her ever again."

Aguro looked at Devur as the Knight blinked and turned to face Aguro. It was then at Aguro suggested the unthinkable to Devur Tranvent.

"Have you ever thought of telling the girl, Devur?"

Devur turned away from him then, his face lighting up a beet red color. "Well, no. I don't think Lufia will listen to me. I told her when she was sleeping, of course, and when we were little, but you know how it is when you're little. It doesn't mean anything when you're little."

Aguro sighed as he once more tried to talk to Devur about telling Lufia his true feeling He was tired of him not telling his childhood sweetheart of how he truly felt, and Aguro knew that Jerin told Lufia the same thing. Lufia had told Jerin the way she felt about Devur, but it was starting to seem like Devur was never going to tell Lufia. "Well, look, you know she loves you. She's devoted to you, man. She's one of those girls that will never leave you."

"I know, Ag," Devur meekly replied. "I'm just not sure she's ready for me to say yes if I ask her to marry me, that's all." He pulled out a amethyst ring that he had hidden in his pocket. "I want to propose to her on Christmas Day--today. I just--I guess I'm losing my nerve, that's all."

Aguro nodded. "Damn straight you are. Now, you are going to ask her, right? Because if I hear that you've chickened out, Devur . . . "

Devur shook his head.

"It's been twelve years that you two have been together, Devur Arran Tranvent. You two should tie the knot by now." Aguro smiled as he said this, crossing his fingers. "I'll tell you the whole story on how Jerin and I stopped arguing later, only if you promise to propose to Lufia."

Devur smiled. "Deal."

It was at that point that Lufia came down the stairs, with Roman helping her walk. Devur smiled and rose, while Aguro smirked and sat, his feet on the other bench. His sword was standing beside him, the point standing up. Devur was in full knight's armor and he reached his hand out so he could take Lufia's hand. "Lady Lufia."

Lufia giggled, then started coughing for a moment. "Oh, forgive me, Devur. I'm afraid I'm getting sick. But is there something you want to talk to me about? You're never this formal with me unless you want to ask me something." Slowly she took Devur's hand and she pressed to her heart. "Mi'Lord Devur."

Devur got on one knee and started sweating violently on the sides of his forehead. His eyes started darting from one side of the room to the other. What if she says that I'm not good enough for her? What if she doesn't want me? What if--

He heard something whoosh from the back of the room and hit him in the back of his head and he knew nothing more.


	4. Part II: Seeking Comfort From The Heart

  
  

Go Canada.   
www.sympatico.ca 

Part II: Seeking Comfort From the Heart

Once again, the three were sitting around the table on the main floor of the Sorcerer's Cerpreve, but Lufia and Roman were with them this time. Lufia was sitting next to her fiancée, nursing his wounded head, which had a bump on the back of it on his left side. Roman was slaving away at the stove, happily cooking Christmas dinner, which seemed to be a large turkey with stuffing and mashed potatoes with a side dish of corn and asparagus. 

It smelled delicious to all of them, but the smell of the food was not what was concerning young Lufia Nyessia Narobyn. What was Devur going to do before Jerin kicked her shoe while she was running at his head? It seemed like he was going to something important . . . and I know he was. Devur was going into his Mi'Lady spiel . . . something that he does whenever he is doing something important to impress me, which never impresses me at all! But then again, Lufia just thought of something. Oh dear Goddesses above . . . he didn't just do what I thought he was about to do . . . did he? 

A look of love passed in Devur in Devur's eyes as he looked back to Lufia and held her hand and Jerin began the meeting at the table with the fifth apology to Devur in the last fifteen minutes. "I am really sorry, Devur. How's your head?" She reached an arm out to him, it only reaching halfway out to the table.

Aguro took it back to him, taking her hand back in his. "He's fine, sweetheart. 'Tis only a flesh wound." Then he looked at the old man cooking at the stove and saw him stuffing the turkey. "You need help there, Roman?" he offered.

Roman shook his head. "No thank you, Aguro. I think I have everything under control. You all just settle this little problem between yourselves while I get things started and done, hear?" He seemed to remove a tear from his eye as he sighed once more and looked out the window for a moment before shuffling his feet, his eyes closed. Then he returned to his work, mashing his turkey mush and shoving it back into his turkey again.

I know you're thinking about Mama, Lufia thought to herself. Hell, I'm thinking about her too, Father. Her and Daemon and that bitch, Alyssa, and all my friends that died while we escaped from Doom Island before the wars started . . . before I was even Erim. Before I knew about Erimela . . . before I knew about the Lost Souls . . . Her eyes were vacant as she looked at the table, holding Devur's hand and still nursing his wounded head. Her thoughts were now focused on her dead brother. If only things had turned out better when we all were up there . . . then maybe Marianne, Ealasaid, Daemon, Kayath and I would all be together. But why must I be the only one left?

"The whole reason why we are even here is because Lufia's memories are returning," Aguro spoke up, trying to interrupt Lufia from her depressing thoughts. "You know, I honestly do think that this was the time that Lufia's memories ought to have returned."

Jerin shot off like a bullet. "Why, Aguro!? It's depressing for the poor girl, thinking about awful things in the past! I mean, come on, Ag! How would you feel!?" Lufia saw her whirl around and face him, anger in her golden eyes. "I would be totally depressed and in the dumps right about now! Take some consideration!"

"Well, I am!" Aguro shouted back. "I'm trying to the best that I can, at least! Come on now, Jerin! When you think about it, no one can really understand how someone feels other then them!"

Aguro, I never thought you would ever make a comment that would make so much sense, Lufia thought to herself. You seemed stupid when I met you, but you have studied and have learned much since I met you. And I understand you now that I have been with you these last eight years as a comrade-in-arms and as a friend and I am proud that I have. Jerin is a good wife for you. At that she smiled for a moment. But I wonder what Daemon would say if he knew of my thought of wanting to marry someone who killed Daos . . . who had his soul . . . my brother . . . I miss you so much . . . I wish I could be with you and Mama right now . . . 

"I just don't understand it," Lufia finally blurted out in the middle of Aguro and Jerin's argument. Her voice was calm and even and she had a nonchalant look on her face. Even Devur looked at her, who was sleeping off his sudden headache. 

Roman turned away from his cooking. "Don't understand what, dear?"

"Why Daemon and Mama died."

That was when the tears came down her face, but Lufia made no sound. She did not cry in racking sobs. She just let the tears run down and did not attempt to wipe them away as she began to tell her story about her past; the one she kept hidden from the three.

"Well, I guess I better start explaining it to you, huh? Ok, here goes. Not that it will mean much, mind you, since it was all when I was little. But like I told you all, here goes:"

"It all started when I was about twelve, I guess--" She could not even start it, for that was when the racking sobs came to her. "I can't tell it, Father. Something's telling me to hold it back. I can't do it." She pounded her hands into Devur's chest and cried again. "I want to go home. I want to see my mother, my brother, even that bitch I called my half sister that teased and beat the shit out of me. At least she got what she deserved in the end by Bryant. At le--lea---least he k--ki--kill---killed he--her---" Her voice was uncontrollable as it became muffled and she sobbed in Devur's bluish-gray shirt.

Roman left the dinner aside and looked to the married couple, looking at his messy hands, covered in the mash. "Will you two take over for me?"

"Just leave the dinner aside for a minute, damn you!" Jerin shrilled. "Your daughter's more important then an instant Christmas dinner!" She then ran over to where Lufia was crying and hugged her. "Now, you know you have to let these memories out sometime, Lufia. So why not unlock them now, while you're with people you can trust?"

Still the hysterical girl cried, hugging onto Jerin now instead of Devur. "I can't, Jerin," she sobbed. "I can't. Something in my head's telling me not to. Something's just saying, 'You can't let it go, Lufia. You have to keep this in.' But I want to let it go. I've kept this in for so long . . . so long . . ."

"So then just let it go and tell me. I trust you."

Out of all the people, it was Aguro who said it. Aguro, who had refused to talk to Lufia for three years after the Second Doom Island War because she had betrayed them at the final battle. Aguro, who had absolutely no trust for her because of who and what she was. Aguro, who was weary of her because she was an annoying person when she had first him eight years ago. And now--

Had Lufia just heard right? Did she just hear those words?

She looked up to look at the green-haired Lorbenian commander. He was serious. He meant every word he had just said.

"Are you being truthful with me, Aguro Ackern?" Her voice wavered.

Aguro nodded. "Every word, Lufia. I trust you. You have changed."

Lufia shook her head. "I don't think I have . . . " she whispered as she unlatched herself from Jerin's embrace. "I really don't think I have!!" Then she want barreling up the stairs to the inn.

"But you need to tell us, Lufia!" Jerin yelled, running after her.

"Just leave me alone, Jerin!" she shrilled. "I need some more time!!" And with that she had gotten to her door and had slammed it, going to her bed. 

"I really don't think I have changed," she whispered to herself once more as she cried again, throwing herself on her bed and crying on her pillow.


	5. Part III: Beginnings of Pain and Sorrow

Many thanks to the people who have reviewed and read my fanfiction stories.

I realise it's been a hell of a long time since an update on this thing. I just found it the other day. The outline and everything. So I decided to take a shot at writing this again. Not to mention several emails to finish the story from Lufia fans.

I realise that some people have different opinions on the story and its characters. This is all that is. O-P-I-N-I-O-N-S. I do not own Lufia. Taito, Natsume and Altrus own them. This story is for pure entertainment. If I could publish it, I would. Do they publish fanfiction if you submit it to the owners of the game? I don't know. I wish I did.

I did give the characters middle and last names, which were mostly from a very old Lufia story long ago in the late 1990's. Anyone else in the story belongs to Elizabeth Marion Whittaker, including characters that are Sinistrals before their transformation.

As forewarning, I would suggest reading _The Knights Task and the Warrioress' Test_ and _Reflection_ before reading this story, since there are mentions of the story. Also if you have not beaten _Lufia I or II,_ I would suggest beating them before contining this story. This has **MANY** spoilers as the plot thickens.

Ok, now I'm done, I think.

**For the commentors who have commented so far:**

**4SwordsLink****: I finally have started to finish it. The statement above explains why I held off finishing the story.**

**Justin T. Melanson****: Thank you for thinking that the scenes would rock as a video game. ;p I wasn't trying for that, but it's nice to think that someone thinks this is an excellent story. Hope to hear more reviews from you soon.**

**Teefa and Co****: You waited long enough, now you receive. The next part of the story, for you, and all the other fans. Thank you for reading. ;p**

** --------------------- -------------------- **

Part Three

The Beginnings of Pain and Sorrow

-----

Aguro glanced as Jerin walked back down, sighing softly. "Was--was it something I said?" he asked the rest of them. "I mean, I didn't think I said anything stupid."

"No, I don't think it's what you said," Devur told him. "I think she just needs some time. But . . . it has been a long time, already." His sigh was a clear indicator of how he felt. "I don't understand. Why is it so hard to tell? It's just a story, isn't it?"

Roman, who had gone back to making dinner, stopped and grabbed a rag to wipe his messy hands. "It's not _just_ a story, Devur. It's her life. It's an awfully long story, as well." His eyes now looked to each one of them before putting the rag back on the counter. "It's kind of like telling someone about how you saved the world, but with much more that she has lost."

"And you would know because . . . " Jerin prompted, waving her hand toward her face.

Roman took a breath. "Because I _am_ her father."

Devur glanced at him for a moment, shook his head, and then looked to his comrades. "Am? Of course you are, you took care of her. I mean . . . "

"No. Think about it," Roman pressed. "You see, no one would take her in, because they were all scared of her. And I, who had no questions, did not think twice. At the time, you had asked why. Why I would do such a thing. Despite her being a 'stranger' to everyone else, I had known her quite a long time." He sat down with the three of them and poured some water in a cup from a pitcher he had sitting there. Roman took a drink before speaking again. "I'm older then you think I am. Despite my age, I have seen many things and knew what was to come. But . . . I could not help at the time."

Jerin got up and pounded her fist on the table. "Why not? You could have warned us, old man!"

Aguro grabbed his wife's arm and tried to get her to sit down. "Jer--"

"No! He could have! If **he** knew Lufia was the Mistress of Death, then he---"

"That would have brought back her memories," Devur cut in. "I understand his actions." Then he turned to Roman. "You still could have told _me_. I wouldn't have told her." His hand went to scratch the back of his unruly hair.

Roman drank some more water. "I could not allow the risk of it slipping. She's bared enough pain as it is, Devur. Please understand." Standing up and pushing the chair in, he then said, "Why don't you go out and get some fresh air? Perhaps I can talk to her, maybe calm her down a bit."

Jerin nodded, moving her blonde hair behind her pointed ears. "Sure, if you think that'll help." Looking to Devur, she asked, "Is it wise, to just let her be like this?"

Getting up, Devur sighed. "I don't know. But perhaps we should take him up on his suggestion. After all, it'll give the three of us time to discuss some things, perhaps even a plan as to how to rectify the situation." He thought a moment, grabbing his cloak and fastening it around his neck. "I was wondering if you two would come with me. I have a place . . . when I was staying in Alekia, before I left."

Aguro was the last to stand and nodded. "Sure. I get the feeling that would be better for tonight, anyway."

"What a way to spend Christmas," Jerin muttered as she grabbed her dark brown cloak, tying the straps to her neck. "All alone, in the cold, shut up in a room. I still think we should try to . . ."

Her husband's hand was on her shoulder as he shook his head. "You've always known Lufia to be stubborn when it comes to this sort of thing. Just give her some time, Jer. I'm sure she'll come down, and knows where the place is." Looking to Roman, he then replied, "Or her father will tell her. I'm sure he knows."

"True, but I feel bad just leaving her there," Jerin murmured. "It _is_ Christmas, after all. Who wants to spend Christmas alone?" She had walked over to the door and opened it. "I wouldn't. I'd feel lonely, even disheartened that no one would be willing to spend it with me. It was like that for many years before . . . I had friends." With that she ducked her head out the door and was outside in the snowy night.

Devur watched her go as he saw Aguro now throwing his cloak on his muscular frame. "Yeah, I feel bad too. But she wouldn't come out if I asked her to. Her emotions always did get the best of her." He followed Jerin out the door as well, turning to look at the stairs again before disappearing out of the inn.

"It's nice to know her friends care," Roman said to himself as he watched Aguro start to leave. "Just like her other ones."

Aguro looked at him. "Other ones?"

"Yes. The ones that were with her when she escaped from Doom Island." This was said quietly as he continued with the dinner, looking at a bowl of potatoes he had not gotten to peeling. "Unfortunately, all of them died when they were recaptured. She was quite attached to them as well. And her brother . . ."

"Just how much do you know, old man?" He looked at the door, seeing a hand waving him over toward them. "I realize you can't tell us anything but--"

"I only know a little bit of it. You see . . . Lufia was not my only child. Her brother was too. The one you call Daos."

Aguro stepped back a few steps and coughed for a moment. "That ---thing---!"

"Sadly, yes. What my children were forced to become . . . that is something that makes me melancholy indeed." His hands went to grab a potato and he held it a moment, as if thinking. "But Lufia . . . well, she is more of the child she was now then she ever has been. Of course, she has been resurrected all those times but . . . I had wondered if both my children would return home to me."

"Aguro!" Jerin's voice called from the door. "Come on! It's freezing out here, twit!"

Roman turned around to look at him. "You better go. Do not worry for me, I'll be fine."

Aguro nodded and turned around, walking to the door. "I'm sure she will be too," he called before disappearing through the doorway.

> --> --> --> -->

They had walked in the snow for a few minutes before anyone had spoke again. Devur was thinking about what had happened at the inn, at how fast she had turned emotional. How Aguro finally gave his trust to her. At how much Roman kept from him. He wondered why he was the one forced to take on the responsibility of all these problems all of a sudden. _Could it be that I'm just the kind of guy who deals with this sort of thing?_ he thought. _Or is it because I'm this destined hero that everyone thinks I am? _

He glanced at the lights in the houses, at all the people who were spending Christmas with their families. The family he had . . . well, two were walking with him. The other two were in the house, alone, spending their Christmas living in their past.

Devur finally reached his home, his dark home without any lights on. He wondered how it would look now since he had not been there in a few weeks. "Well, here we are," he said.

"I meant to ask you . . . " Jerin started, pausing as she thought a moment. "How are you and that one girl doing?"

"Elinori?" Devur asked.

Jerin nodded. "I heard you had a relationship with her . . . Lufia seemed rather upset about it in the letter I read."

_Letter? I never realized she wrote letters to her. I should talk to her about that as well._ "Well, we did, for a while. But it's over now," he answered. "She . . . doesn't like my occupation." He glanced away from the half-elf as the moonlight hit his face. "It's for the best now though."

"Still don't understand why you did it," Aguro told him. "I mean, you love Lu--"

"Despite that, there are still complications now, Aguro. The last thing she needs is more confusion!" Devur shot at him.

Jerin sighed as she put the hood of her cloak down. "You're making her more confused by going out with another woman and only being there when she needs you to be. If you do love her, tell her."

"What did you think I was doing in there?" Devur had now started to shout, tired of all the accusations of him giving mixed signals. "I was _trying to_, but apparently you had to throw your shoe at me!"

A shocked look came across her face. "...you...?"

Aguro nodded. "We talked while you . . . did your thing . . . and well . . . it seems that he broke up with her a long time ago. They've been friends for twelve years, they both liked one another. It was his grand plan . . . but he kind of proposed to your shoe instead. Think it said yes hard enough?"

His joke was not appreciated by the way Jerin came up and bonked him on the head. "I didn't mean to, stupid!"

"Well, it just shows you how attached he is to her," Aguro said. "I mean, he was telling me a while ago how he wanted to go with her, but well . . . he couldn't."

Devur was now blushing and trying to bury his face in his cloak, recalling that conversation as well, dressed up as Lufia and Aguro as Devur. "Come on, that was not a good time to be discussing that. That way was rather . . . embarrassing."

"Embarrassing?" Jerin asked, confused. "Why so?"

" . . . cause I kept tripping in the high heels you made me put on."

Jerin laughed. "Oh! That time! Well, shucks, that was rather funny, seeing you dress up as Lufia. You'd make a hell of a--" Devur growled from underneath the cloak. "I'm serious!" The half-elf chuckled with mirth.

"Jerin, please," Aguro whispered.

"Alright, alright." She quieted down as she saw someone walking toward them. "Devur, who is she?" Her finger pointed toward the person.

Devur lifted his head out of the cloak now and was looking at the figure Jerin was pointing at. "Oh, that's just the local fortune teller, Majainae. She's supposedly a witch. You know, the black cat, broomstick riding kind."

Jerin shivered, huddling in her cloak. "The kind that gives me the creeps?"

"She's not that scary," Devur chuckled as she came up to them. "Merry Christmas to you, kind lady."

The woman nodded to them, her long locks of curly brown hair coming out from under the hood. "And to you as well, good sir. Tell me, what are you doing, all alone, on this cold Christmas night? Shouldn't you be spending it with that long haired girl of yours?" They could see piercing green eyes glaring at Devur as she spoke.

_Great, even she thinks I shouldn't be out alone. What is up with these people?_ "Well, she's having an emotional moment, so we thought we'd let her calm down until she recovered."

Uncovering her hood, Majainae nodded. They could now see that she had a pointed nose and a pair of luscious green eyes. They also could tell she was quite petite, from the way the cloak was baggy around her body. "Well, I wonder if it was from those . . . memories . . . that Innkeeper Roman told me about the other day." Her pale hand went to her face, holding her pointy chin in thought. "Could that be the case?"

"Umm . . . " Jerin was hiding behind Aguro, clearly scared of the witch. "Well, perhaps?"

Majainae laughed heartedly as she heard Jerin's shaky voice. "Calm, child. I'm not scary. I don't turn people into toads, or cast hexes on them. And I certainly won't do that to you." She glanced to Devur as she watched the young half-elf come from behind her husband's back. "If that is the case, then I have something for you. Please, come with me."

"Are you sure it's alright to do?" Jerin asked, still a bit frightened.

Another laugh from the young woman. "Of course it is. I have no reason to hex you."

"That word gives me the creeps," Jerin muttered, holding onto her husband's arm.

Aguro laughed, patting her hand. "It's alright. I'll be here, so will Devur, sweetie."

_...please, don't call her that. Just watching them makes me feel more lonely then I already am._ Being the good friend he was, though, he could not tell her that. But he did nod to Majainae. "Alright, we'll go."

Jerin glanced to Devur. "Ahh . . . I thought . . . "

"Perhaps she can help us get Lufia to tell us what's been going on," Devur told her. "Besides, it's better then being alone, anyway. Stop being a scaredy-cat and come along. She makes good cookies."

Her ears twitched. "Cookies!"

Devur laughed. "Yes. Cookies. Come on."

The half-elf smiled as she met up with the other woman. "Sorry about that. I guess I should learn to not take rumors so seriously." Bowing, she then said, "I'm Jeriavea, known as Jerin. Pleased to meet you."

"At how fast she'll change for some chocolate in her system," Aguro muttered.

"Hush, you!" Jerin muttered as they all started walking again. "I'm not doing it for the cookies!"

And throughout the entire argument that he heard after that, Devur chuckled softly. _This was how Christmas was supposed to be, except with Lufia and her arguing. But perhaps we can still get everything to normal._

"What's funny, Sir Devur?"

He was thrown out of his thoughts by the quiet voice of Majainae. "Oh, just thinking about how everything is slowly returning to normal," he whispered softly. "They always argue. They're married too."

"Makes me wonder how they get along," she muttered, pushing her hair under the hood.

Devur smiled. "You wouldn't understand if I told you." Glancing to her, he then said, "Now, how can you help Lufia?"

The witch smiled. "Well, you'll see, Devur. Be patient. Christmas is not over yet."

"Well, I better be able to propose to her by the time Christmas is over."

"What happened to Elin--"

"That didn't work out," he told her before Majainae could finish the sentence. "I love Lufia. I always have."

This time she smirked. "I'm glad you see it that way. Come, we're almost there." She walked a bit faster, leaving him behind with the other two.

They had seemed to quiet down as she left. "So, is it alright to go in her place?" Jerin asked.

Devur nodded. "Yes. Please, don't be scared. Majainae is not a bad person." Turning to Aguro, he saw that he was holding Jerin's hand. "Must you do that?" he asked. "It just ---"

"What?" Both of them asked at the same time, not understanding what it was he was saying.

Devur shook his head. "Just forget it," he replied, leaving the two being to follow the witch woman to her house. He mentally scolded himself for even thinking of asking to stop showing small signs of affection the rest of the time he walked to her house.


	6. Part IV: How to Relieve Pain and Sorrow

Well, I seem to be on a roll lately on updating this story.

So here is the next part here. I'm hoping to get past this part of the plot soon. As usual, thanks to all readers and reviewers.

Notes: An athame is a knife that witches use while they cast spells or make herbal remedies. All ingredients that are listed are used while making potions. I have looked this up or seen these ingredients used.

Replies to the following commentors:

**AxisLyonheart516: **I'm trying; I'm trying to finish the story! laughs I am certainly glad you think I am holding true to the characters. That part is very hard for a writer to do for fanfiction. I'm mostly an orginal novel writer. However, I think my many years in Lufia fanfiction have also helped me with retaining the characters' personalities. Thank you also for your help in AIM the other night.

As for you commenting on Aguro and Jerin, the next part will have Aguro being solo with two new characters. It's not all about the redhead. ;p

--> --> --> --> --> --> --> 

Part IV

How to Relieve Pain and Sorrow

The three had finally made it inside Majainae's house after having to pull Jerin into the doorway and hearing her scared whining. Of course, as always, she felt better after she got into the house, but held onto Aguro's arm as she walked in slowly.

Majainae was smirking as she watched the half-elf's reaction and slowly proceeded to a table with tools she worked with. Her eyes lay upon a white handled athame and a bowl where a few leaves of sage were and she moved toward them. "It's alright. Just take a seat somewhere, if you can find room," she told the three.

"Well, where are we supposed to find room?" Jerin asked as she saw the black cowebbed couch. "The couch full of cowebs? That's kind of—"

Majainae looked rather upset about that, her green eyes teary. "I did that myself with paint, thank you. Don't insult my couch."

_And boy, she has some weird taste,_ Devur thought as he glanced around the rest of the house. _I didn't know witches had so many tools._ His eyes saw a cauldron hanging by a hook near a bookshelf, which was against the wall where she was standing. The windows were undraped and one was open just a crack, so fresh air would come though and circulate the room. Where Majainae was standing, her table was full of other tools he did not know the names of, or what they did. But she stood there as she unfastened her cloak, hanging it over a chair.

"Well? Do you want to sit, or not?" she asked again, taking off her soft leather boots as well.

Aguro took a seat on the couch and found it comfortable, so he stayed there. Jerin tentatively looked around and finally moved to where Aguro was, sitting on his lap. Devur smirked as he saw her relax and opted to take a seat next to Aguro, glancing toward Majainae. "So, why do you need us here, exactly? Can't you tell the future or something?"

Majainae scowled. "There are many things that a witch is limited to doing. I hate when people think I can tell them everything." Then, glancing at her ingredients, she sighed. "I'm generally concerned for Lufia's well-being. She doesn't seem happy lately. Or herself, for that matter."

"That's pretty bad, if the neighbors notice," Aguro muttered.

"Anyone could notice," Majainae replied. "She's always daydreaming."

_Well, that was her all the time, but . . . it's more recent that it's noticeable._ Devur sighed as he fidgeted in his seat. "Well, it's not just that, is it?"

"Well, no. I kind of want her to be happy. And you're not happy either, if you know what I mean." She winked at the last remark. Devur blushed and pounded his fist into the couch. "Anyway, I was going to give you a potion that would ease her tension and allow you to hear her story."

"Isn't that drugging her?" Jerin pointed out, getting up from her husband's lap. "That would be wrong to do."

Majainae lifted her head, curly hair around her face. "No . . . it's not drugging her, dearie. Drugging is such a nasty word. I perfer the term . . . relaxant." She reached behind her to grab some bay leaves in a jar and opening it as she moved to the cauldron. "Drugging is doing something for ill intentions."

"So what is it you're doing, exactly?" Jerin countered. "It's not as if she'll tell willingly, witch."

"No," Majainae agreed, grabbing a big stirring utensil and stirring the water and the bay leaves together. "She won't. Too much hurts her. But, if you relax her a bit, I'm sure she'll tell you rather then hold all her past inside. The girl must be hundreds of years old."

_Actually, more then hundreds,_ Devur thought.

"Well, she seems to choke up when we try—" Aguro told her, but was cut off by the witch again.

"Understandable, knight. If you ask, she will. I wouldn't tell you. You don't seem the type that would listen." Aguro growled as she moved slowly to get a dragon vial with dragons' blood in it. "But if she told . . . say . . . Sir Devur, there, perhaps that would guarantee more results."

Jerin held his arm as he muttered, "Well, we're all her friends, lady."

"I get what she means, Ag," Devur spoke, looking at the other two. "You heard her voice, back at the inn. How shocked she was when you said you trusted her. You never did, after you learned who she was for quite a while." A deep breath before he tried to fix his unruly hair again. "She wants to make sure we won't tell anyone before hand."

Jerin stood up, stretching her lithe form. "But Devur, she's known you as long as she can remember. Why would she not tell you?" Her golden eyes glanced at him, confusion on her face. "Unless something happened in the past that would make her—"

Majainae took this time to add some more ingredients to her witchy brew while they talked. She mixed some mustard seed into it as well as some more water and stirred.

"Perhaps that would be the case," Devur muttered. "She does look rather sad, when she starts to tell me and then glances at me. The tears start then. But I know it would relieve her if she just told me." His fingers played with his armor as he thought of what to do.

"Well, how much of her memory has she regained, Sir Devur?"

His thoughts once again were interrupted by the witch. _I'm starting to hate that. There should be a warning before someone speaks while I'm thinking._ "Well, she has regained a lot of her memory back. But there are some parts she will not tell us."

"I thought as much," she replied, getting a small vial from the shelf. "That means that making this was good, after all." Getting a small ladle to put the stuff in, she sighed again. "Well, you just need to slip this into a drink and let her drink it. It's odorless and tasteless."

"I feel uncomfortable doing this," Jerin murmured to Aguro.

Majainae looked to Jerin and smirked. "I wasn't going to ask you. I was going to ask the green guy to." She walked over to him and handed him the small vial that seemed to envelop in his big hand. "Take this and get her back here will you?"

Aguro's green eyes were skeptical as he asked, "You're sure this will work?"

"Of course!" she huffed. "I _am_ good with my potions, after all." Insulted that he would say such a thing, she went over to her seat by her altar and sat. "Though I am wondering what the effects of her telling that story would be."

"What do you mean?" That last part worried Devur. "What effects will it have?"

Aguro stood up now, hearing his knees pop as he stretched. "Personally, I think she'll become unglued, telling all those memories. And why should I have to do this? Why can't Jerin? She's good at all that girl stuff."

"Aguro, it'd be a way for you and her to establish some trust!" Jerin bonked him in the head with her hand.

"And you think the entire time we were travelling wasn't, Jerin?" His voice had rose a bit as he stood in front of his wife. "I would think so, since I was with them before we saved you from being eaten!"

Jerin growled a moment before glancing to Devur. "Dev—"

"I'm not getting in it," he told them, holding out his hands. "You can fight all you want, later. Just deliever that to her, Aguro. Please?" When he saw that they were bickering anyway, he gave up and glanced to Majainae. "Maybe you should make a potion on them not bickering."

Majainae laughed softly. "Couples do that, you know. Don't you like to kiss and make up?"

"In the privacy of my own home, Majainae. Not when I'm _in someone else's home_," he hissed at his friends, indicating that they should stop fighting.

Both of them just looked at him, as if it was the first time he mentioned for them to stop fighting.

_Just as well. It was like that in the old days too._ Devur put a hand on his face and sighed. "Look, Ag. Go give her the stuff. Actually, have Roman make some tea, slip it in, and then give it to her."

"How am I supposed—"

Jerin hit his shoulder lightly. "There's the bathroom for a reason, dummy. Just don't let her see you with the cup of tea, that's all. Although, that is kind of a funny thing to imagine," she giggled. "Aguro in the bathroom, sipping tea, like some nobleman."

"Actually, I could see that," Majainae laughed as well.

The Lorbenian commander shrugged. "Well, I guess since we've decided that I'm going to go get her, that I should." He kissed his wife before looking toward Devur and Majainae. "We are going to record her story, right?"

"Record? Whatever for?" Majainae smiled. "For history's sake?"

"I don't think that would be wise," Jerin told him. "It's between friends, not for the world to know. Besides, Lufia would be mortified if the world knew she was . . . well." She cleared her throat at that. "So it's best if we keep it to ourselves."

Aguro glanced to Majainae as he walked to the door. "The witch shouldn't be here, you know."

Devur shrugged. "Lufia knows her and it's her place. Now hurry up and get her." He decided to lie down on the couch, deciding that it would be a good time to get some sleep before this heavy ordeal took place.

"Yeah, Ag," Jerin spoke up, agreeing with Devur. "Please go get her. And don't do anything stupid."

"I won't," he answered before opening the door. His hands put his hood over his head as he was met with the chilly air of Christmas, the falling of snow heavier now as he walked out into the night.


	7. Part V: A Look At Thyself

Whooo! Part Five is up!

I should warn you, school is taking up a huge chunk of time, as is work. So if it's slow, just email me. But with enough pestering, I should get this done.

Yes, as promised, this is an Aguro part, with his thoughts. I have never done his character before solo, so make comments if you think it should be done differently or if you think something should be added.

**_SPOILER: If you have not beaten Lufia I, or went to Doom Island underground, DO NOT READ. There is an excerpt from Lufia I with a few renditions done to make it sound like novel format writing. Also, because I felt like doing them. I always thought Devur would be rather emotional, and I felt they did not convey that much emotion into it._** Special thanks to Cyan for having it on Forfeit Island.

Also, should I make a Seeking Redemption Part II on or should I just leave it all one part and submit it that way?

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Part V: A Look at Thyself

As he walked around the town of Alekia, Aguro began to think of everything that was going on. How the four of them became friends and what adventures they shared. He thought of the witch in the house, at what Roman told him upon leaving the inn. Lastly his thoughts centered to the memory of what happened at the inn with Lufia, at how he gave his trust to her.

_"Are you being truthful with me, Aguro Ackern?"_

The way her voice had wavered, questioned that he even would bother to trust her . . . it had stung him. He always thought that despite his misunderstanding that she was the Mistress of Death, Lufia would allow him some trust. But she had understood that he did not approve of her and of what she was, hence building up barriers about the Lorbenian commander. He did briefly remember that the two would have tiny spats on lifestyle choices or on Devur's decisions when he was leading the four to Doom Island.

But his mind went back to a particular point in time, to where the three found out who Lufia truly was. It was then that his trust for the girl began to wavier.

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He had awakened earlier then the redhead, which was unusual. Usually his arguments with the half-elf wore him out. But this morning he saw Devur sleeping on his side, pillow hugged to his head. _Well, I'll be,_ he thought. _Last night really affected him, when he found out what Lufia was._ Shaking his shoulder, Aguro said, "Wake up, Devur."

The redhead blinked his bleary eyes quickly as he gasped, awakened from his recent nightmare. "Yeah, what is it?"

"Well," Aguro blurted out, "I was wondering . . . what are we going to do?" He never realized at the time that he, too, was worried about Lufia. He always thought then that it was just Jerin and Devur he was worried about.

Devur looked confused as he sat up in bed, grabbing the shirt that was discarded next to him on the wooden nightstand. He threw that over his head as he asked, "About what?"

The young Lorbenian commander scoffed. "About Lufia, of course." _What else would I ask about, when we just came from that underground island? He's clearly in denial about everything that's happened . . . but if it was someone I loved . . . _

_Wouldn't I be that way, too?_

His thoughts were right when Devur's face still looked confused. His blue eyes glanced away as he went to reach for the blanket, pulling it away. "What's wrong with Lufia?"

"Damn it, Devur!" he shouted. "Stop living in a fantasy!" Banging his fist against the wall, clearly frustrated, he took another approach to the problem. Taking a deep breath, he countered back with, "Can you deny what Daos said?"

_And I hope to the Goddesses he can't. I'm not in the mood to hear him argue about why Lufia's not a Sinistral,_ he huffed. _I **clearly saw** the statue of her in that throne room hallway. Despite what he says, that is the proof. Devur **cannot** deny that._

But, the morning had to be difficult for him, for Devur did counter it. Just as he expected.

"What are you saying?" Devur now had gotten out of bed to look for his pants, which were by the door. Aguro snorted at that remark and watched Devur fall, trying to reach for his tan pants. The Alekian was never a morning person, and this proved the point. "Erim's dead. All we have to do is destroy Amon, Daos, and Gades!"

_Finally, a point I can agree with. Maybe you're starting to make sense._ "I agree," Aguro replied. "But, remember what Daos said about the reunion! Do you think Lufia brought the Sinistrals back to life?"

"What are you trying to say?" Now sitting down, he grabbed his pants and held them in his hand loosely, staring at Aguro. It was as if he did not want to hear the next words coming out of his mouth.

_Clearly, you don't, Devur, but I have no choice. _This time Aguro sat on the bed, yawning a moment before continuing his thought._ Befuddled as he is in the morning, I have no choice but to be blunt with him. Even I don't want to say the words. They do sound rather cold._

"Well?" Devur pressed.

Aguro sighed. He was going to have to tell him. "Even if we destroy the 3 remaining Sinistrals, _**they'll continue to return as long as Lufia lives**._" He kept his voice down so that no one else in the inn could hear them.

The stunned look on Devur's face was enough to make Aguro keep going, despite his gut feelings not to.

"If it's true, Devur, what are you going to do?"

"That's obvious! We have to destroy them!" Devur had a pained look on his face, as if refusing to grasp onto Aguro's words. The Lorbenian commander was starting to grow weary of the conversation and wondered briefly if Devur lost his mind. _Either that or he has a really big hero complex all of a sudden to save Lufia from herself._

"Devur?" Aguro rose from the bed as he went next to his friend, standing above him. "Do you realize what you're saying?"

The redhead just stared at him.

Finally grasping his attention, Aguro finished the thought and had agreed with his earlier one: It did sound rather cold. "You'll have to destroy Lufia, too." After seeing the tears in Devur's eyes, he looked away. He could not bear to watch the redhead cry over the one thing that had to be done. It was when their mission would truly end. "Can you do that?"

"You know, I never really thought about it!" Devur yelled.

Aguro turned around, trying to get Devur to lower his voice but he could not as the tears spilled from the corners of his eyes. He wondered if anyone else was hearing this as Devur continued, his voice choking.

"Truthfully, I'm not sure, Aguro. I never had thought I would be killing my best friend. The woman I—"

"Obviously, _I_ don't want to think about it either," Aguro snapped. "You think this is what I do all the time? Think of ways to kill Lufia?" He remembered being insulted that Devur would think such a thing. But now, he understood why he thought that way, looking at it years later.

Devur sighed, wiping the tears away from his eyes. "Aguro. Listen to me."

"What is it?" He asked.

"Do you think Lufia would try to harm us?"

That question stuck out in his mind, even now. Back then, he retorted with something stupid, something immature. "Why are you asking me? How should I know? She's _your friend_, after all."

But clearly, she was his friend too. And he did not care at all. Not back then, anyway.

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_So why was it I never trusted her then when she never tried to harm us in the first place? Was it that I thought she was childish? Jealous? Not good enough to handle being on a journey with us?_ Aguro could not figure it out as he walked away from the witch's house and trekked through the town of Alekia.

Footprints were left in the snow as he walked, noting that the ones they made were now covered by fresh snow. He wondered how Roman and Lufia were doing, then shook his head. He would be going back to them soon enough, he told himself, and kept walking toward the inn.

Aguro had wandered into Lufia's Priphea garden and gazed at it a moment, seeing the snow on the bushes. He thought of how beautiful it was with the light snow on them. The Lorbenian commander wondered if Devur and Lufia looked at this together. _That explains why he allowed her to run in Elder Flake's garden in Arus,_ he told himself. _Priphea are rare, as I have found out. Alekia and Arus are the only two places in the whole world that have them. _

His thoughts were interrupted by a girl running past him, coughing softly as she ran. She did not have a cloak on and this bothered him as she ran past, her long blonde hair wet from the snow. "Hey!" Aguro called, trying to catch up to the girl.

Her widened eyes glanced back to him and ran by the bushes near the edge of the village's border. _Shit!_ Aguro thought. . . . _ why am I doing this again? I thought . . . oh, never mind. The child needs something warm to wear. _Abandoning his quest to go to the inn, he poked his head in the bushes. "Hey, it's okay," he whispered. "Can you—"

"Lemme alone!" she yelled, her face scrounged up. "I fine!"

"Acyen!"

Aguro turned around to see a young boy gazing at the bushes. He also happened to not have a cloak, but he did have some dirty black pants and a big oversized shirt on his frame. "Just what are you two doing outside this time of night, anyway? Don't you guys have parents you should be—"

"Acyen!" he called again, ignoring Aguro and reached in the bushes, pulling her arm. "Come on! You know you can't be out here like that!"

When the boy pulled her out, Aguro saw what he meant by 'like that'. She was in a simplistic cream colored dress that was dirty with short sleeves. Her blonde hair had snowflakes in it and as she stood there, the blonde was more eaten up by the white of the snow. Dark brown eyes looked at the boy. "Jacen, I'm alright," she told him, turning away. "You can go on back, I was going to look for you!"

"Look for you?" Aguro asked, clearly confused.

"We were playing hide and seek in the snow," the boy named Jacen explained, shaking his black hair clear of the snow. "Acyen wanted to play, since she thought playing in the snow would be fun. But we don't have coats and stuff, so I said not too long."

She turned her head. "I said I was—" A loud rack of coughs came from her as she held a hand to her little chest, nearly doubled over.

"Hey, Acyen!" Jacen ran over and tried to see if the girl was alright. "What's wrong?" His voice was soft as he talked to the girl.

Aguro moved over to look at her and noted she did look a bit pale. Unfastening his cloak, he took it off and wrapped it around her body. "She's cold. Looks like she's getting sick, as well." He glanced to Jacen. "I don't like how she looks. You both should come with me."

"And where can we go?" Jacen asked. "We don't got any money. We just go 'round from place to place 'cause we got no home." His eyes stared at the Lorbenian commander as he pulled her into a protective hug. "There isn't a place we—"

"There's someone who'll let you stay and give you a bed," he told them. "No one should spend Christmas in the cold like this. Especially children." He thought of Jerin's words echoing in his mind.

"_Who wants to spend Christmas alone? I wouldn't. I'd feel lonely, even disheartened that no one would be willing to spend it with me. It was like that for many years before . . . I had friends."_

The little girl coughed some more and Aguro sighed. "Let me carry her, and follow me." Before either one could protest, he lifted Acyen into his arms gently. The boy blinked as she snuggled in his arms, wrapping the cloak around her. "It's not too far. Maybe he'll have some food ready for you, if you hurry."

Jacen nodded softly as he followed Aguro, being careful not to jostle the girl he was carrying. While he walked, he gazed down to the girl, who happened to fall asleep in his arms. _Guess the movement put her to sleep after all_, he thought before he saw the door to the **_Sorcerer's_** **_Cerpreve_**. "You mind—"

He was met with Lufia opening the door for him, giving him a wary smile. Her eyes were still bloodshot from crying, but she nodded to him. "Saw you coming. Figured you needed a hand."


	8. Part VI: I Won't Betray You

I realise it's been a long time since I have had a chance to write anything in the story, and I sincerely apologize.

First, I want to thank everyone for their encouragement, their reviews, and their feedback. It makes it hopeful that the story will actually be finished, even though there is an outline and it has somewhat strayed off course. Especially off of this part of the story! ;p

Anyway, keep reading and keep sending those emails and IMs to me! It's appreciated!

Note: Again, special thanks to Cyan for his transcript of Lufia I on Forfeit Island. If you have not played **_Lufia and the Fortress of Doom_**, do not read. There is a spoiler in the last part, excerpted from the game with a few lines added from me.

The p's are for spaces, since for some reason, it keeps bunching it together.

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Part Six

I Won't Betray You, I'm Your Friend

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Aguro stared at her a moment, trying to clear his head. Between the children that he had suddenly took the responsibility of, and the potion that was in his pocket, he was trying to wonder which priority to take care of first. Luckily, his question was answered with the little child coughing in her sleep in his arms. He was thrown back to the present and nodded slightly. "Yeah. I found two kids outside. This one's sick."

"Well, bring them inside," she told him, turning around to walk to the kitchen. "No use in letting them freeze longer, stupid."

_I did expect her to stay mad at me, but . . . _

"Oh, there's food on the table if they're up for some food," Lufia called. "Seeing as we didn't to eat it, I guess someone should."

"Mmm!" Jacen was excited as he looked in the direction that Lufia had gone in. "Food? You didn't lie, Mr.!" He ran over to the table and saw the glorious dinner layed out before him. "I wonder if we can get some for Acyen. We haven't been able to really eat in days." His voice lowered as he walked softly back over to where she was and looked to Aguro. "We should get her in some clothes that aren't wet."

"Let me take care of the child." Roman came up from behind Jacen and the boy stepped back a bit to let him have some room. "Aguro, she'll be fine. Lufia'll take a look at her. In the meantime, how about you get them some food? Bring up the child's food and let the boy eat."

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Lufia stepped back from the food and turned to Aguro, facing him. "We should get to her, as Papa suggested. You going to come?" Her eyes were tired, the redness starting to fade from her crying earlier. "I'm sure that girl'll be wondering where you went to."

Aguro nodded, pushing back his hair out of his face. "Yeah, I know. I'm just wondering on something, though." He did not voice his thoughts on how she was in front of the boy, who was now eating his heart out. There was no point in ruining the good mood just yet.

"Here," Roman said, interrupting the two, handing Lufia a plate of food. "For the girl. I'll save some for the rest of you. Take her up, now." Turning back to Jacen, Roman showed him some more of the food that was out.

"Well, you heard him," Lufia told him, leading the way upstairs. "We should put her in bed before anything happens. I know we have to talk." Running a hand over her forehead, she descended up the stairs, sighing softly. "And when we do talk, I expect it will be alone."

"Alone, yes. With those children, no." He smiled. "At least you're leaving it between us."

Lufia's eyes bored into his as she smirked. "The conversation is to **_stay_** between us. Not to the others." Turning her head away, she then ran up the rest of the stairs, calling, "Hurry up!"

As he moved up toward the stairs, the child stirred and groaned, shivering with cold. Even though she had his cloak around him, this worried him and thus, persuaded him to go up the stairs and into Lufia's room, where he put Acyen.

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Sometime later, after they had left her food there, Lufia had directed Aguro into the other room, which happened to be Roman's bedroom. Aguro only noticed this by the boxers that were on the side of the bed. _That's scary. I sooo did not need that image in my head._

"So, what was it you needed to discuss?" He broke the sudden silence between the two. "I suppose you aren't going to apologize for shutting us out again."

Lufia sighed. "No, I shall not." Glancing away a moment, she turned to face him. "You don't usually come all this way to talk to me. I supposed there was something you wanted to ask as well." Lufia shuffled her feet against before speaking. "Actually, I hadn't meant to shut you out—"

"Why is it so hard for you to believe that I could trust you?" The words came out of his mouth before he had meant to speak them. He wanted to wait a little bit, let her confess before rushing in. _Stupid. Now I'll never know._

Her eyes shot up and she stopped playing with her feet. A look of anger swept over those blue eyes as her fists balled up and she spun around, turning away. "I—I heard you—that day." It was all she said, her voice cracking.

"Heard me when?" The knight asked, clearly confused now.

"That day!" she yelled, sniffling. "You told Devur to kill me, because I would betray you!"

Aguro's face turned pale. He had not thought she had overheard a word of it. It explained a lot of her feelings toward him now, especially how cold she had turned toward the man. And this probably was the reason for all of it. For some stupid comment he had made years ago.

"…you did hear then." He did not try to deny it. There was no point in lying about something that was already done. "It was a hasty comment—"

Spinning around, she wiped some tears out of her eyes before she stomped up to him and slapped him across the face. He never bothered to stop her; in truth, he had anticipated that Lufia would be quite pissed at just hearing those words. Nonetheless, he looked at her.

"Hasty? You think you had some goddamn right, telling someone who you hardly know to kill his girlfriend! Do you have any idea what I went through there? Do you?" She had shrieked loud enough to cause some concern, as she heard footsteps approaching from the stairway.

"You alright up there?" Roman called. "Should I come upstairs?"

"No!" Aguro called out. "We're fine. Just take care of the boy for now. We'll be through in a moment!" Then, he sighed. "No, I didn't. I didn't think—"

The girl turned away. "That's just it. You didn't think. You were so selfish back then. You can still be that way sometimes." She sighed, heavily. "And if you hadn't said those words, I could probably still hate you right now…but…I guess, after seeing you marry Jerin…I kind of started coming around. About you, I mean."

_Really? Why didn't you ever say that? It would have helped the situation instead of treating me like I was always stupid all the time, Lufia._ He smiled. "So does this mean I'm not just the stupid guy with a weapon anymore?"

Lufia laughed. It was a rare thing to hear these days, and he presumed that it had become a turning point in the conversation. "You're still stupid," she giggled, turning around and hugging him. "Just…no stupidity like that again, or you'll get killed for sure, you hear?"

Patting her head, he nodded. "Yeah, I hear you. Just tell me when something's wrong, alright? I can't help if I don't know."

"Yeah." A pause as she let him go, and then turned to the door. "We should check up on the girl. Many things could happen with one sick as she." She had started walking to the door as he cleared his throat and nodded. "I'll take care of her. You go tell Papa everything's okay." Lufia had walked out the door.

"Well, I guess that's settled," he told himself. "Hopefully I can get a drink. My throat's parched."

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Heading downstairs, he was met with a look from Roman. "I could hear you two yelling from there. I hope that was necessary. You shook the boy up."

Stepping down the last step, Aguro nodded. "Pent up frustration, old man. Anyway, do you think I could get some tea for Lufia? She seemed to be kind of tense. I hear tea will get her to relax a bit." He cleared his own throat. "Truth be told, I'm a bit parched myself."

Roman nodded, the look of worry off his features as he made his way to the kitchen. As Aguro followed, he held his hand up. "Stay there. The boy is asleep. I'll come back and you can deliver it to her."

Aguro nodded again. "That's appreciated. Thank you." As Roman stepped away, he thought a lot about the conversation upstairs and was glad that they finally had come to terms with each other. _But is drugging her the right way to get her to explain her past? What kind of trust is this to put on someone? What trust is there? That's not…_

"Here you are, Aguro," Roman said, coming back with the tea. "Just be sure she doesn't pass out from exhaustion. I had put some sleeping tea in it. It often will help her sleep."

"Well, how do I tell which one is which?" he asked, taking the identical cups. "I don't want to take the one that will—"

"Left hand. That one is her tea. Give it to her before you drink yours." Turning away, he headed back to the kitchen. "Let her go with you to Devur's. She'll need it. Besides, that pain has to come out sometime. I'm sure she has to let Kayath go somehow." His voice trailed off as the kitchen door closed softly.

_Kayath? Who is that, exactly?_ Aguro pondered this as he walked back upstairs, trying to make sense of what Roman just said.

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"There he is!" he heard a girl's voice cry from across the hall. "There's the man who helped me, miss! Now, where's my brother!"

This caught Aguro by surprise as he heard Lufia respond in a gentle voice. "Asleep, with my father. You're sick, so we brought you upstairs."

Coming in the doorway, the girl looked annoyed at the sight of the doorway being blocked. "Where's my brother, Mr.?"

A series of coughs came from Acyen as she was laid back in bed and Aguro handed Lufia her tea. Gratefully, she accepted and sipped some of it. "Thank you, Ag. And it is as I said, he is asleep, as you should be. You are quite sick." She put her hand on her forehead and whispered a word. The girl became still and fell asleep, her head easing down on the pillow. "She should sleep for some time."

"What about finding out where they are from?" Aguro asked. "It's Christmas. I would be worried."

"If they are this far out, they must have been fending for themselves. They haven't ate in what looks like days, their clothes are tattered and they were outside in the snow. I imagine their parents are dead, Ag." Her eyes turned to his face as she drank some more tea. "Roman will take good care of them. He needs more lively children in his home. He is rather lonely now that I am grown up."

Aguro sipped his tea, letting her speak.

"Perhaps I shall go back with you to see Devur. Christmas is rather lonely without his company." Downing the last of the tea, she stood up and handed him the cup. "Thank you again. We should go tell him we're going." She smiled. "And—thank you. For clearing that up with me."

Walking out with her, he nodded. "Should of done it sooner, girl. I'll wait for you outside."

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Aguro headed out the door as Lufia headed into the kitchen to tell her father where she was going. As he stood outside, once again, snowflakes fell on him and he found himself remembering the day they met in Treck, after a group of lizard creatures had taken his boat.

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"I am Aguro, commander of the Lorbenian Army," he had proclaimed proudly as he looked upon the two people who came up to him. "I came when I heard that Gades invaded Sheran. Can you tell me anything?" He remembered the horrified look he saw from Lufia as she glared at him. "Well?"

Somewhat skeptical, Aguro remembered the way the redhead spoke as he sighed. "You want to know about Gades?"

_Well, and probably about the boy, as well, _Aguro thought. _This is going to be a long mission. I won't be back in time to make a proper report to the commander._ "And you as well, I see. Do you know anything?"

"You may not believe me," the knight had replied, "but I fought him."

Aguro gasped in obvious shock. _This kid? No way in hell! He must be joking! He's—then again, he is the only lead I have._ "Is this true?" Aguro asked, showing his disbelief.

The woman huffed as she turned away. "It's clear he doesn't believe you, Devur. Perhaps we should leave and find another who will rent us a boat." The girl started walking off when the man grabbed her arm.

"Stay here. It's too dangerous..."

"Who are you? What's your name?" Aguro demanded.

The redhead turned back around, letting the woman's arm go. "I am Devur, Knight of Alekia. And this would be my friend, Lufia."

He clearly ignored the fact that the girl was there. Recalling now, he should have made some attempt to acknowledge her presence. Perhaps that was what started their rivalry long ago.

"Devur," Aguro said. "Tell me more of your battle. Let's dine together at my camp. You will be my guest.

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His mind flashed to later that day, after they had fought off the monsters that had sunk his ship. It was this that made her remind him of the whole memory in the first place.

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"Hey! No problem. Trust me," Aguro coolly replied. "I'll let you go on my ship. I'll even take you to Lorbenia to continue your journey!"

"We'd be grateful if you could," Devure replied. "Thank you."

"Commander. The sh...ship was sunk by...by monsters."

"What!" He turned around and found that it was sinking and that it was destroyed. _I so did not need this now. Where am I going to find another ship!_

As if the soldier heard his thought, he responded, "This town has no more ships, Commander."

" . . . I know that." Turning to Devur, he sighed. "I suppose we should find a ship then."

"Can we trust him, Devur?" Lufia asked, making sure he could hear. "After all, his ship sunk, even in front of him. How do you think he'll treat us?"

p

p

_I was a fool then, to have realized that she would not trust me. I should have talked it over before beginning that argument._

The door opened behind him and Lufia smiled, clasping her cloak. "Why don't we get going? I'm sure they're waiting for us and it is cold. Christmas is not mean to be alone, is it?"

Aguro shook snowflakes out of his green hair. "No, it is not. But we must go to the witches' house. That is where they are."

Lufia stepped back then. "The witch, Majainae? What are you two up to, Aguro?"

"We're just worried about you. You know, you're sad, and teary and who is Kayath anyway?" Once again, he spoke without meaning to. He could tell he should not have said that by the shocked look on her face.

"So…Papa's worried too. That is clear, when that name is mentioned.' Her eyes teared. "An old lover, from a time and place past. Come, we'll go in and tell them the story. I guess I should now. What harm will that do?" Yet it was clear that she would indeed drown in memories if she did not get with friends soon, and be in a safe haven.

Aguro took her arm and guided her as she cried to Majainae's doorstep and knocked on it twice. It was met with Devur opening the door and smiling. "I supposed you never did, did you, Ag?" he asked as she hugged him tightly and returned the hug.

"No, I never did. That's not trust. That's lying about someone. But make her step inside, Devur. As cute as it is to see you hug, I'm freezing."

They laughed as they stepped through, closing the door after Aguro had stepped inside.


	9. Part VII: At Last, Reveal Your Past

Alright, this is the last part before book one of Seeking Redemption ends. Basically, the first eight chapters was a huge lead in before Lufia tells her story of life before Devur, Aguro, Jerin, and the Sinistrals. We see lots of things beforehand, and as told before, a LOT has strayed off course since then.

To all the readers and reviewers, to the wonderful people who have sponsored this story on your sites, and to Tatio, Natsume and Neverland Company for making Lufia, this story has been one of the most successful stories I have written to date in the fandom. Hopefully, some of your out there will put down your thoughts as to what will happen when book two starts. I would love to hear what everyone's thoughts on the next part are.

And now, for the conclusion of book one.

Part VII: At Last, Reveal Your Past, Lufia

It was after Aguro had closed the door that Lufia had tensed up, even being in the arms of her friend. She glanced around nervously, feeling something chill her. The woman shivered and took a deep breath. "It seems we are not alone in this place," she said softly. "I feel something I should not be feeling."

"I feel it too," Lufia heard Jerin respond, rising from the couch and going over to the door. "It's an eerie feeling, whatever this may be." Her hand touched Lufia's shoulder, as if to stabilize her, or to comfort. Lufia could not figure out which as she turned her head around, seeing Aguro look confused, Devur glancing at the door, and Majainae still stirring a concoction in her cauldron. "Can't you chase ghosts away, witch?" Jerin snapped.

_Ghosts? Is this the feeling that makes my skin chill? My nerves sing with anticipation?_ Lufia pulled Devur's arms away, hearing a few grunts of protest, but went up to the door. _It would explain why I feel a familiar presence. Brother—_

"No, of course not!" Majainae barked softly. "I can only summon ghosts, if need be. And no, I did not summon a ghost." Her hands never stopped stirring the concoction.

"Then why would there be—"

"Hush, Jerin," Lufia commanded. "It will do us no harm. Just the feeling of it being a ghost is enough to make your nerves jump." Her hand was held out as she wiped her starting tears away from her eyes. "I guess even my brother was worried, ne?"

"Brother?" Aguro asked in surprise. "You can't mean Daos! How could he have been—"

"_Daos is not but a Sinistral, knight of Lorbenia. In order for the Sinistrals to live, they must have the blood and soul of an innocent soul. Even if my name does not imply that, I suppose it was a foreshadowing for the events which have passed."_ A hue had appeared behind Lufia and there stood a young teenage boy with short purple hair. But unlike Daos, his skin was not that of a lizard. Rather, he looked ordinary. His clothes were old and worn, they could tell, and his eyes reflected sadness. "_It is nice that you haven't been…taken again, Sister. I do still feel hardship at how I died."_

"Don't blame me, Daemon," Lufia spat at him. "It was not my fault that they stripped you of your love for me. Nor was it my fault at how Daos tormented you." Her voice had shook uncontrollably as she reached to hug the ghost, but alas grabbed air. As was to be expected.

"Daos was a soul then?" Devur asked, grabbing Lufia's shoulder to calm her. "Then what is Erim? Amon? Gades?"

"They are all souls as well," Lufia responded. "How do you think we could last that long? Each innocent has a part of the Sinistral embedded in them when they go up to Arek's castle to be indicted."

"I'm afraid even I don't understand, Lufia," Jerin replied, sitting back down on the couch with Aguro and going through her bag. "Perhaps you could elaborate on this for us?"

"I thought we agreed not to write it down, Jerin," Aguro whispered in her ear. "She is—"

"_Let her write our story down, knight," _Daemon responded. "_Perhaps after this, even you might reread it and try to understand the trials and pain we have had to endure."_ The ghost had transparently put his hand on his sister's shoulder as well. "_It is good you found love again. But Daos is seething in his grave that you will not allow Erimela to be free."_

"Daos can shove it for all I care, Daemon," Lufia coolly retorted. "I took back my identity when I fought Arek years ago at Devur's knighting ceremony. And I do not intend on letting Erimela manipulate me anymore." Turning to the rest of them, she sighed. "Ok, let me explain. Erimela was Erim's real name. Erimela, Daos, Amon and Gades were Arek the Absolute's children. But as time passed, each child died, and Arek sought to make them incarnated souls."

"Incarnated souls? You mean…magic summons that sorcerers could use for power?" Jerin asked, her eyes mirroring confusion. She took Aguro's hand as the Lorbenian was lost in all the conversation.

_If only it were that simple, _Lufia thought, but as she was about to speak, Daemon had spoke for her.

"_No, Jerin of Belgen. It is not as you describe at all." _As he paused, the ghost coughed and patted his chest before continuing. "_The Four Sinistrals died, and Arek kept their souls contained within his castle. Their ghosts lingered freely until four individuals decided to be Arek's test subjects. When this was done, Arek realized that his children had incorrect matches for bodies and mindsets, and thus, set to 'kidnap' children to take the place of the living host."_

"They…inhabited you?" The witch had finally spoke. "It's mind control, only they become fused with you."

"Right, which was why I was brought back to life all those times," Lufia said.

"Tell me something, because I don't understand how you are reincarnated all those times," Devur said, sighing. "I mean, you're a human too, right?" Stroking her hair, she seemed to ease onto him and she shook her head.

"No. When a Sinistral fuses with someone who is like them, they will, in essence, become that person. Their spiritual force allows them to return to life at Arek's will. I have to because I am responding to what Erimela is doing."

"_There is no way to get a Sinistral out of that person once their have been broken of will," _Daemon interjected, before someone else could ask another question. "_They thrive on four things: Chaos, Destruction, Terror and Death. Two of the individuals they pick must be strong of will. The other two can be as stupid as they like. However, since we are brother and sister, it was a perfect sellout for our stepfather to turn us over to the Sinstrals after nearly killing Dad."_

"So Roman is—" Devur spoke.

"_Yes. He is her father, as well as mine. And he is just as worried as I, and the rest of you are." _Floating over to her sister, Daemon gave her a kiss on the cheek. "_Remember, Mom and Dad love you, as well as I, and as well as Kayath and the rest of us. Tell our story. You can't hold it all forever, even if you think you are to blame."_

The tears flowed freely down her face. "But what if they—"

"_They will accept. They did after Erimela tried killing them, didn't they?"_

_Well, damn, Daemon has a point,_ Lufia thought again. _They did. Why wouldn't they?_

"_They will accept, Sister. Give Dad our love. Mom still wishes she could make dinner cause Dad always burnt the turkey."_

She laughed. "Yes, Dad still does burn the turkey." Wiping the last of her tears out of her eyes, she dragged Devur over to sit on the other couch. "Thank you, Dae. For coming, I mean."

"_Well, you are the only one of us still alive besides Dad who knows the story. Not to mention, you both can live as long as you like, considering your sorcerers . . . I only wish I could actually comfort instead of hover, reminding you of the failure we have caused."_

"You aren't hovering, Daemon," Lufia told him. "You're just reminding me, I suppose, but not hovering. If we had Dual Blade when we escaped, maybe we would have had a chance. But that was not found until 'Iris' and Maxim came along, one hundred and ten years later." She looked down at her feet now, shame overcoming her. "And if we had it, maybe—none of this—"

"_This still would have happened, because of Erimela, Lufia. You have to remember it is Arek who controls when his children are revived, not us. If it was us, then indeed, this would have never happened again."_ Daemon had sighed softly. "_But go on, tell them. I have to get going now. Mom will wonder what is taking so long."_

"If you have to go," Lufia said, "then you have to go. Take care now."

"Thank you for coming, but please don't try to scare us like that," Jerin muttered. "It's frightening for us to feel a ghost!"

Aguro shook his head. "…And I still don't know much of what's going on."

"You never do, Ag," Jerin laughed. "If you pay attention, you might get some of the major points." Then she gave him a noogie and the two were in a wrestling match on the couch.

Devur cleared his throat, trying to get the two to stop, but instead looked at Daemon. "At least we got to see the true side of Daos."

"_I am not Daos. I am only the host body. I only died because I was destroyed by the Dual Blade. It will not be long before even I am reborn, and forced to fight against you. But before that happens, please listen. This might help next time, and avoid unnecessary death." _With that he began to disappear.

"Ghost," Majainae called out. "If you like, I can make you stay for a while with the potion I made." She held a vial out for him. "Would you want that?"

"_Your potions will not work, witch. I thank you for the gesture, but this is not something I need to be present for. She will do well enough to tell the story on her own." _Then Daemon disappeared and Lufia was left to wipe more tears away from her eyes.

"Now I can see why it's hard for her to actually fight Daos," Aguro whispered.

"Daos is no problem. My brother, on the other hand, is," Lufia snapped. "But he's right, I suppose it is time to tell…otherwise, I'll go insane. So if you shut up, I'll tell you." Yawning a moment, she curled up against Devur and got herself comfortable. "In the morning. I'm tired."

"The morning?" Jerin all but shrieked. "You did—" Aguro shook his head and pointed to the direction of the inn. "Oh. Okay. We can wait till the morning then. I suppose we could use the next day to think and listen. And get food too."

"We should have eaten the turkey," Devur told her. "Even if he did burn it again."

And at that, the others chuckled, knowing that the night would end on a good note. But as she fell asleep, Lufia noted that if she had to tell her story, she wouldn't want it to be anyone else other then the friends she had with her now.


End file.
